On January 10; 1901; Beaumont awoke to the historic roar of the Spindletop gusher. A flood of frantic fortune seekers heard its call and quickly descended on the town. Over the next three decades; Texas�s first oil rush transformed the sparsely populated rural state practically beyond recognition. Brothels; bordellos and slums overran sleepy towns; and thick; black oil spilled over once-green pastures. While dreams came true for a precious few; most settled for high-risk; dangerous jobs in the oilfields and passed what spare time they had in the vice districts fueled by crude. From the violent shanties of Desdemona and Mexia to Borger and beyond; wildcat speculators; grifters and barons took the land for all it was worth. Author Bartee Haile explores the story of these wild and wooly boomtowns.
#2085095 in eBooks 2015-11-01 2015-11-01File Name: B01AF0SNSA
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. and made me a better music fanBy Adam TrujilloI went into Popkiss a minor Sarah fan (mostly because of Blueboy and The Hit Parade). I left Popkiss not only with a renewed and expanded interest in Sarah; but with warm fuzzy feelings about indie pop at large and my relationship to it as a fan.The closest comparison I can make is to Simon Reynolds postpunk survey Rip It Up and Start Again. The structures and writing styles of both books are similar; certainly. More importantly; though: both books challenged my perceptions about their subject matters; got me thinking about how I engage with music; and made me a better music fan. Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone interested in 80s/90s indie.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I greatly enjoyed the writing style of the author and his devotion ...By Brooke FeaginAs one of the few American Sarah Records fans from the latter part of its history; this book was an insightful and interesting history of their inner workings; developments and personal history of both the bands and Haynes/Wadd. I greatly enjoyed the writing style of the author and his devotion to the label is evident. I am a bit disappointed that there was little; or next to nothing regarding Secret Shine of Sweetest Ache. For that reason; Popkiss comes off as a fan guide where only the authors favorites are given voice. Regardless; I still enjoyed this much needed work.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A great historical overview of a wonderful labelBy too_old_to_be_so_indieI was a big fan of Sarah Records in the early 90s; and this book is a wonderful history of the label and the bands and the people involved. Its a great introduction for people unfamiliar with Sarah; and a great trip down memory lane for existing fans.
